Newsletter Detail.|
Author Last Name |
various |
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Newsletter Title |
The Biblical Educator |
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Topic |
Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth . . . |
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Download PDF |
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PDF Filesize |
244,031 |
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Keywords |
newsletter |
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Pages |
4 |
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Subject (Series) |
Volume I; No. 2 |
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Description |
Article 1: Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth by Debra M. Miani |
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Year of Publication |
1979 November |
Created By: debbie on 06/05/96 at 02:35 PM
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BOOK REVIEW by James Kevin Craig Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity, ed. by John N. Moore and Harold S. Slusher, Zondervan Publishing House, 1970. The Battle for Creation, (Acts/ Facts/ Impacts Volume 2) by Henry M. Morris and Duane T. Gish, Creation-Life Publishers 1976. Science Textbooks Controversies and the Politics of Equal Time, Dorothy Nelkin, The MIT Press, 1977. The presence of these books reveals one of the sadder situations in the battle for Christian schools. It indicates that great numbers of truly gifted Christians and needed financial support are being diverted from the battle front. Isolated bands of Christian soldiers are dying from wounds inflicted by government troops and the supplies that could save them are not only not reaching the front lines, but they are being given to the enemy. These books reveal a coordinated effort to save the temples of Moloch from destruction. Even if Christian schools had all the fine textbooks, qualified teachers, and financial support they needed, the work of the Creation Research Society, the Creation Science Research Center, and other organizations would still be treason against Christ the King. These organizations are compromising the faith once delivered. True Christians everywhere, of course, thank the Lord daily for His grace in raising up men like Henry M. Morris; men who are diligent to defend the inerrancy of the Scriptures, including the Genesis account of Creation. These men, as they look toward God’s handiwork to think God’s thoughts after Him. honor the Lord by demonstrating that evolutionists everywhere have been suppressing the knowledge of God given them through the creation (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:18-20). Undoubtedly many people, this writer included, have gained a certain and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through their writings. As scientists they are models for our students. As educators they are hindering the cause of Christ; they are compromising Christ’s total Lordship over education. Although God rules the family, the school, the government, and the church, and has given His laws for each of these areas, they are all independent of one another. The church does not run the government; the government does not run the school. The separation of these various “spheres” is integral to God’s law. Public schools, therefore, are morally, Biblically, wrong. Its not that they are inefficient, plagued by vandalism, or lack the proper science curriculum. Control of schools and education by the civil magistrate is against God’s Law. Period. Biology: A Search for Order in Complexity, and other books like it, represent a great effort to design a textbook acceptable to public schools. Perhaps greater effort is being and has been expended to persuade public school administrators and teachers to use these books. Christians, in books like The Battle for Creation, are urged to work with their local public school to get creationism into the classrooms. Such activity sanctions the existence of public education. It grants that the state has a right to be the educator of the family’s child at all —regardless of what it chooses to teach. This is compromise. These books list the following examples of treason:1. Christ is only 50% Lord. According to these creationists, science classes should only spend 50% of the time learning about God’s work of creation. The other 50% should be given to the teaching of evolution! Nelkin observes: “Unlike 19th century fundamentalists, most modern-day creationists are willing to compromise by balancing the ‘pernicious influence’ of modern science with a presentation of alternative theories. ‘Let the students take their choice’” (p.130). “Creationists argue that since the Biblical theory |
of
origins is scientifically valid, it deserves ‘equal time.’ When there are
two ‘equally valid hypotheses’ it is only fair’ that students be exposed
to both theories and be allowed to choose for them-selves” (p. 134). As Henry Morris himself put it, “Let us present as
many theories as possible and give the child the right to choose the
one that seems most logical to him. We are working to have students
receive a fair shake” (ibid., p. 134). But Christ says every thought
must be brought captive to Him (II Cor. 10:5). We cannot merely
give Him “equal time.” Creationism is the only valid position!
We sin against the Lord if, with Nell
Segraves, we are “not asking for our position to be the only position. We’re
asking for 50 percent ...” (Christianity
Today, Dec. 22, 1972, p. 35). Christ
is 100% or nothing. We see from the above quote by Morris that these creationists
2. Deny Christ’s Lordship over science. There are not two “equally valid hypotheses.” There is God’s Word and there is rebellion, and never the twain shall meet. True science is only creationist science. True science is thinking God’s thoughts after him; classifying the creation according to His Word (Gen. 2:19-20). True science is exercising dominion over the creation under God. Evolutionists have no claim to the title of scientist and therefore no claim to a single second of our students’ time. In order to appeal to the public schools. Dr. Morris and his associates must play the evolutionists’ game of “neutrality,” and hypothetical scientific “objectivity.” As a result, 3. Creationist textbooks are completely unacceptable in Christian Schools . In Biology, the allegedly neutral “scientific method” is foundational, not God’s scientific mandate in Gen. 1:26-28. All the facts of creation are said to be neutral until the scientist makes sense out of them. Louis Agassiz and “other thoughtful persons” are quoted with approval as saying, “Facts are stupid things until brought in line with underlying principles” (p. 4). Facts are not “stupid.” Evolutionists are stupid! Facts are God-created!! (See Rom. 1:22 ) Many creationists who are active in the public schools admit that “whenever possible, one should ... enroll in a Christian school.” But they continue to work on the public schools because “unfortunately this solution is oft en impossible or impracticable” (Battle, p. 84). If the unceasing efforts and large sums of money expended on the public schools were given to struggling independent Christian schools, Christian education would make a tremendous leap forward. The money used to help public schools could send thousands of poor children to existing Christian schools, or help establish new ones. The legal expenses involved in challenging public school curricula could help keep hundreds of pastors, teachers and parents out of jail. Praise God for the work Henry Morris and other creationists are doing as scientists. Shame on them for their retreat as educators. God’s plans are tough, but obedience will lead to victory: (1) Explicitly Christian schools to replace the State’s failures: (2)
Explicit
condemnation of evolution and its adherents at every (3) Education of our students in true science. True science has nothing to do with evolution or the broadly-applied “scientific method.” True science is Christian dominion. We cannot be obedient to Christ and give public funding of evolutionary, anti-education a single inch. “We have resources of principle such as no other commonwealth of education has. More than that. We not only claim our rightful place among the commonwealths of education, but we have a definitely imperialistic program. No mere Monroe doctrine will suffice. We are out to destroy —albeit with spiritual weapons only and always — all our competitors. We do not recognize them as equals, but as usurpers. Carthage must be destroyed.” (Cornelius Van Til, Essays in Christian Education, p. 169.) |